Case packing machine

ABSTRACT

This disclosure deals with a packing machine for packing or filling an empty case with a stack of articles such as cigarette cartons. The cartons are received from a cigarette tax stamping machine which opens the flaps on one side of each carton, affixes a tax stamp to each package, and applies glue to the opened flaps for resealing the cartons. The packing machine includes a case positioning tower which receives empty cases and successively positions the cases on a loading platform. A plurality of cartons are stacked in tiers in a magazine with the glued flaps extending upwardly, and are moved by a pusher assembly into an empty case on the loading platform, thus filling the case. The height and width dimensions of the magazine are adjustable in order to accomodate cartons of different lengths and thicknesses and the tower includes means for centering each case, regardless of width, on the platform. An ejector assembly is provided to move a case off the loading platform after it has been filled and position another empty case on the loading platform for filling. In addition, the apparatus includes means for turning a case endfor-end in order to place the glued flaps on the undersides of the respective cartons and thereby obtain an effective seal.

. United States Patent [191 Davis Assignee: The Meyercord Co., Wheaton, Ill.

[22] Filed: Feb. 25, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 118,770

[52] US. Cl. 53/61, 53/55, 53/164, 53/243, 53/387, 214/6 BA [51] Int. Cl B65b 57/14 [58] Field of Search 53/61, 62, 164, 392,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,548,847 8/1925 Metcalf 53/388 X 2,105,159 1/1938 Petskeyes.... 53/388 X 3,584,432 6/1971 Mayer 53/61 2,988,236 6/1961 Shields 214/6 BA 3,105,334 10/1963 Marshall 53/387 X 3,477,198 11/1969 Davis 53/55 2,972,842 2/1961 Hitchcock... 53/159 X 1,912,696 6/1933 Ferguson 53/392 X Primary Examiner-Travis S. McGehee Att0rneyllibben, Noyes & Bicknell [57] ABSTRACT This disclosure deals with a packing machine for packing or filling an empty case with a stack of articles such as cigarette cartons. The cartons are received from a cigarette tax stamping machine which opens the flaps on one side of each carton, affixes a tax stamp to each package, and applies glue to the opened flaps for resealing the cartons. The packing machine includes a case positioning tower which receives empty cases and successively positions the cases on a loading platform. A plurality of cartons are stacked in tiers in a magazine with the glued flaps extending upwardly, and are moved by a pusher assembly into an empty case on the loading platform, thus filling the case. The height and width dimensions of the magazine are adjustable in order to accomodate cartons of different lengths and thicknesses and the tower includes means for centering each case, regardless of width, on the platform. An ejector assembly is provided to move a case off the loading platform after it has been filled and position another empty case on the loading platform for filling. In addition, the apparatus includes means for turning a case end-for-end in order to place the glued flaps on the undersides of the respective cartons and thereby obtain an effective seal,

12 Claims, 23 Drawing Figures i: M1 I 11,11

inf full-iii PATENIED OCT 1 6|975 sum 0? OF 15 I ATTORNEYS FATEN IEQ GET 1 61975 sum 11 n; 15

FAIENIEB OCT 1 6 I975 sum m [If 15 INVENTOR. HAL/IN C 0/) W5 @MZ ATTORNEYS CASE PACKING MACHINE Allan C. Davis U. S. Pat. No. 3,477,l98 discloses a machine which automatically accumulates or stacks a number of cartons of cigarettes in tiers, each tier including a plurality of cartons, and packs the cartons into an empty case. The machine further includes structure for positioning a case in location for being packed with cartons. The machine disclosed in the above-mentioned patent is particularly advantageous in that it is able to accomodate cartons of cigarettes of different lengths, such as the regular, king-sized and imperial length cigarettes. The machine is not, however, capable of accomodating cigarettes of different thicknesses, such as standards and thins. In addition, when using a machine of the character disclosed in the above-mentioned patent, each carton of cigarettes must be turned over before it is fed into the carton accumulating mechanism.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved case packing machine which is capable of handling cartons of cigarettes of different lengths and thicknesses, and wherein it is not necessary first to turn the cartons over before they are fed into the case packing machine. A machine embodying the invention comprises an input conveyor for moving cartons onto an elevator of the case packing apparatus, the cartons moving in a direction which is transverse to their long dimension and having their glued flaps on the upper sides thereof, means for moving the elevator upwardly when it is filled with cartons, means for holding the cartons on the input conveyor stationary during movement of the elevator, a magazine located above the elevator and positioned to receive the cartons from the elevator when the elevator is moved upwardly, the width dimensions of both the magazine and the elevator being adjustable in order to accommodate cartons of different widths and the height dimension of the magazine being adjustable in order to accommodate cartons of different heights, a loading platform, a tower for positioning an empty case on the platform and centering the case relative to a stack of cartons, the centering means being able to accommodate cases of different widths, pusher means for moving a stack of cartons from the magazine into a case on the platform, the pusher means acting in response to the total height of a stack of cartons being equal to the height of the associated case in the tower, means for ejecting a filled case from the tower and means for turning the case end-forend and thus placing the glued flaps for each carton on the underside thereof in order to apply pressure on the glued flaps to seal them.

The foregoing and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures of the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a system for removing cartons of cigarettes from a case, opening each carton and applying transfers or stamps to the cigarette packages therein, closing each carton after applying glue, and repacking the cartons in empty cases;

FIG. 2 is a schematic elevational view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 10-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 11-11 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 12-12 of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken on the line 13-13 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken on the line 14-14 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 15 is a view generally similar to FIG. 12 but showing another position of the parts;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 16-16 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 17 is a view generally similar to FIG. 16 but showing another position of the parts;

FIG. 18 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view taken on the line 18-18 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 19 is a plan view taken on the line 19-19 of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 20-20 of FIG. 18;

FIG. 21 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 21-21 of FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken on the line 22-22 of FIG. 20; and

FIG. 23 is a schematic electrical diagram of a control circuit of the structure shown in FIGS. 18 through 22.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a cigarette processing system including a case packing machine embodying the present invention comprises a supply conveyor 26, which feeds filled cases to an unloading platform 27 where an operator stands. The cases are received at the unloading platform with one side wall cut away to expose the ends of the cigarette cartons in the case. The operator removes the cartons of cigarettes from the cases and places the cartons on a conveyor 28 which feeds the cartons to a stamping and gluing machine 29 wherein the flaps along a side of each carton are opened, a stamp or transfer is applied to an end of each cigarette package and glue is applied to an opened flap of each carton. Another conveyor 31 receives the cartons from the stamping and gluing machine 29, and feeds the cartons to a case packing machine 32 wherein the cartons are repacked in the case from which they were removed. The cartons moving on the conveyor 31 have their opened flaps extending upwardly and their long dimension is transverse to their direction of movement. An output conveyor 33 receives the refilled cases from the case packing machine 32, and an inverter 34 connected in the conveyor 33 turns each case end-forend to place the opened flaps on the undersides of the cartons.

With reference to FIG. 2, the case packing machine 32 includes an inclined overhead belt conveyor 36 which slants from the unloading platform 27 upwardly to a tower of the case packing apparatus. After the operator standing at the platform 27 removes the cigarette cartons from a case, he places the emptied case, such as the case indicated by the reference numeral 37 in FIG. 2, on the conveyor 36 with the open side of the case 37 facing downwardly. The conveyor 36 moves the empty case 37 upwardly and toward the right as seen in FIG. 2 to the top of the tower where it falls by gravity into the tower, as will be described hereinafter.

The stamping and gluing machine 29 may be generally of the character disclosed in applicant's U. S. Pat. No. 3,513,616 entitled Transfer Applying Method and Apparatus." However, the system disclosed herein does not include a mechanism at the output of the machine 29 for turning the cartons over, as does the machine disclosed in the above-mentioned patent.

With particular reference to FIGS. 3 and 11, the input conveyor 31 comprises an endless belt 46 which is trained around a pair of rollers rotatably mounted at the opposite ends of the conveyor 31. One of the two rollers is shown in FIG. 11 and is indicated by the reference numeral 47, this roller 47 being driven in the clockwise direction as seen in this figure. A drive illustrated in FIG. 9 turns the roller 47 and the belt 46, this drive comprising an electric motor 48 which is connected by pulleys 50 through 55 and belts 58 through 60 to the pulley 56. The pulley 56 is secured to a shaft 57 which is rotatably mounted on the frame of the machine and supports the roller 47. The electric motor 48 is preferably continuously energized during operation of the machine and, consequently, the drive roller 47 and the belt 46 will be continuously turned in order to urge cartons of cigarettes toward the case packing machine.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 11, and as mentioned previously, cartons of cigarettes, indicated generally by the reference numeral 66, are received from the stamping and gluing machine 29 and moved on the belt 46 with their long dimension extending transversely of the direction of movement of the belt 46. Also as previously mentioned, the stamping and gluing machine 29 opens the flaps, indicated by the numeral 66a, along one side of each carton 66 and, after a transfer or stamp has been placed on the cigarette packages therein, a bead of glue is applied to one of the opened flaps 66a of each carton. The two opened flaps 66a of each carton are not pressed together, however, until they are stacked in a magazine of the packing machine, as will be described hereinafter.

The case packing machine 32 comprises a frame 39 which supports the various parts of the machine, and a vertically movable elevator 40 (FIGS. 11 and 12) which is located at the forward end, considered in the direction of movement of the cigarette cartons, of the input conveyor 31. The elevator 40 receives cartons of cigarettes from the conveyor 31 and loads them into an accumulator or magazine 41 (FIGS. 3, 16 and 17) which receives successive tiers, each consisting of six cartons. A tower 42 located adjacent the magazine 41 receives empty cases from the conveyor 36 and positions the cases adjacent the magazine, and a pusher assembly 43 (FIGS. 6 to 8) pushes a stack of cartons from the magazine into an empty case in the tower 42. An ejector mechanism of the tower 42 then pushes the filled case from the tower 42 onto the output conveyor 33.

With particular reference to FIGS. 11 and 12, as mentioned above, the elevator 40 is located at the forward end of the conveyor 31 and underneath the magazine 41. The elevator 40 includes a horizontal plate 67 and a generally vertically extending plate 68 which in the present instance is formed integrally with the plate 67 and extends downwardly therefrom closely adjacent the forward end of the conveyor 31. The purpose of the vertically extending plate 68 is to provide positive assurance that cartons will not be fed into the packing machine while the elevator 40 is in an upwardly displaced position. To support the elevator 40 and to move it upwardly and downwardly, a pneumatic cylinder 71 has its upper end fastened to the frame 39 of the machine by a bracket below the horizontal plate 67, and the piston rod 72 of the cylinder 71 is connected to a bracket 73 (FIG. 15) fastened to the underside of the plate 67. The vertical movement of the plate 67 is guided by a pair of guide rods 74 and 75 which are also fastened to the bracket 73 and extend generally parallel to the piston rod 72 (FIG. 15), the lower ends of the two rods 74 and 75 being secured to a bracket 77. The cylinder 71 has a sliding fit in a center opening in the bracket 77 and consequently when air is admitted to the cylinder 71 below the piston, the rods 72, 74 and 75, the bracket 77, and the plate 67 are moved upwardly from the position shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 to the position shown in FIG. 15. To retract the elevator after it has reached the limit of its upward movement, an electrical limit switch 78 (FIGS. 12 and 15) is mounted on the frame of the machine adjacent the guide rod 74, and a cam 79 secured to the guide rod 74 actuates the limit switch 78 when the elevator 40 reaches its upper limit.

The admission of air pressure to the upper and lower ends of the cylinder 71 in order to lower and raise the plate 67 is controlled by a solenoid actuated air valve 71a (FIG. 3). The switch 78 actuates the valve 71a to retract the rod 72 and the plate 67, and another limit switch 81 mounted at the forward side of the elevator actuates the valve 71a to extend the rod 72 and the plate 67. A right-angle shaped plate 82 (FIG. 11) including an upwardly extending section 83 is slidably fastened to the plate 67 of the elevator, and a slot 83b (FIG. 11) is formed in the section 83 in front of the switch 81. When the elevator is in its lowered position, shown in FIG. 11, the slot 83b extends from just above the switch 81 downwardly to the lower end of the section 83. A horizontal section 83a of the plate extends under the plate 67 and is slidably mounted between two guides 84 on the underside of the elevator plate 67.

During operation of the machine, cartons are pushed by the conveyor 31 on the plate 67 when it is in its lowermost position (FIGS. 11 and 12), each carton on the plate 67 being pushed by the next succeeding carton. The cartons push the sliding plate 82 forwardly until the forwardmost carton on the plate 82 engages and actuates the switch 81 (FIG. 11) to move the elevator upwardly (FIG. 15), which in the present construction occurs when there are six cartons on the elevator. It will be noted that the sliding plate thus forms an adjustable extension of the plate 67 of the elevator.

The switch 81 therefore actuates the valve 71a to move the elevator 40 upwardly when there are six cartons on the plate 67, and the switch 78 actuates the valve 71a to retract the elevator as soon as the plate 67 has reached the uppermost limit of its movement. As will be explained hereinafter, another switch is actuated when tiers of cartons of a certain height are accumulated in the magazine and this latter switch is connected in circuit with the valve 71a and the switch 78 to prevent retraction of the plate 67 while the cartons are being pushed into a case.

To hold the cartons 66 in the magazine 41 after the elevator 40 moves downwardly, a pair of movable hold or rest bars 86 and 87 (FIGS. 11, 12, and 16) are provided at the bottom of the magazine 41. With reference to FIG. 16, the two rest bars 86 and 87 extend transversely of the cigarette cartons 66 in the elevator 40 and are supported by braces 85 adjacent the ends of the cartons 66. Two pneumatic cylinders 88 and 89 (FIG. 17) are connected between adjacent ends of the bars 86 and 87, and the cylinders88 and 89 move the bars 86 and 87 between an inner hold" position shown in full lines in FIG. 17 and an outer release position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 16. When the bars 86 and I 87 are in their hold positions, they are sufficiently close together that they extend underneath the ends of any cartons 66 in the magazine and prevent the cartons from falling downwardly. However, when the bars 86 and 87 are moved apart by the pneumatic cylinders 88 and 89 to their withdrawn positions, they are sufficiently distant that the cartons 66 may move between them. As shown in FIG. 12, the width of the elevator plate 67 is less than the distance between the bars 86 and 87 when in their hold positions, so that the elevator can move downwardly between the bars 86 and 87 even though the bars are in their hold positions.

Thus, when the elevator 40 is moved upwardly with a tier of six cartons 66 thereon, the hold bars 86 and 87 are moved apart by the pneumatic cylinders 88 and 89 just prior to the time that the cartons 66 reach the bars 86 and 87. After the tier has been moved upwardly above the bars 86 and 87, the cylinders 88 and 89 are actuated to pull the bars 86 and 87 to their hold positions where they extend underneath the ends of the cartons, as shown in FIG. 16. The elevator 40 then moves downwardly between the bars 86 and 87, permitting the tier of cartons 66 to come to rest on the bars 86 and 87. In the event there are one or more tiers of cartons already in the magazine 41 when a tier of cartons is moved upwardly, the cartons on the elevator engage the undersides of the cartons already in the magazine and move them upwardly one tier level.

The cylinders 88 and 89 are actuated to move the rest bars 86 and 87 between their hold and release positions by a cam 91 (FIG. 11) fastened to the back of the vertically extending plate 68 of the elevator 40. The cam 91 is in a position to actuate an air valve 92 fastened to the frame of the machine when the elevator moves upwardly. The valve 92 includes a roller 93 rotatably fastened to the outer end of a link 94, the link 94 in turn being pivotally connected to an arm 96 (FIG. 11). When the arm 96 is pivoted in the clockwise direction as seen in FIG. 11 about its mounting pin 97, it actuates the valve 92. The link 94 is pivotally mounted on the arm 96 by another pin 98 such that the link 94 may pivot from the position shown in FIG. 11 in counterclockwise direction about the pin 98 to a position where it is folded against the arm 96. The link 94 is spring urged to the position shown in FIG. 11 where it is at substantially a right angle to the arm 96.

When the plates 67 and 68 of the elevator 40 are moved upwardly, the curved upper end 91a of the cam 91 engages the roller 93 and pushes it toward the right as seen in FIG. 11. Since the link 94 cannot pivot on the pin 98 any farther than the position shown in FIG. 11, the arm 96 is pivoted in a clockwise direction about the pin 97 thus actuating the valve 92 to energize the two cylinders 88 and 89 and move the bars 86 and 87 to their withdrawn positions. The cam 91 is located to retract the bars 86 and 87 before the cartons on the plate 67 reach them. The roller 93 rides against a vertically extended surface 91b of the cam 91 as the elevator 40 continues its upward movement and then rolls off the lower end of the cam 91 after the cartons on the elevator are above the hold bars 86 and 87. Once the lower end of the cam 91 is above the roller 93 the valve 92 is no longer actuated and the pneumatic cylinders pull the hold bars 86 and 87 inwardly to their hold positions. When the elevator 40 subsequently moves downwardly, due to the actuation of the switch 78 as previously explained, the lower end of the cam 91 again engages the roller 93, but in this direction of movement of the cam the link 94 is able to pivot downwardly in the counterclockwise direction about the pin 98 and fold against the side of the arm 96, with the result that the valve 92 is not actuated during downward movement of the elevator 40.

To hold the cartons on the belt and to prevent tilting of the carton which is closest to the elevator 40 when the elevator 40 moves upwardly, a pressure bar 101 is provided (FIGS. 3, 11 and 12) above the forward end of the belt 46. The bar 101 extends transversely beyond the sides of the belt 46 and its ends are slidably connected to two guide rods 104 secured to the frame of the machine. The pressure bar 101 is movable between a lower pressure applying position, shown in FIG. 11, and an upward release position by a pneumatic cylinder 102 (FIGS. 3, 11 and 12). The cylinder 102 is secured to the frame of the machine by a bracket 103 located above the plate 101, and the piston rod 10211 of the cylinder 102 extends downwardly from the cylinder and is connected to the bar 101. When cartons 66 of cigarettes are being fed onto the horizontal plate 67 of the elevator 40, actuation of the switch 81 when the elevator is filled with six cartons both causes the elevator 40 to start moving upwardly and also actuates the cylinder 102 to force the pressure bar 101 downwardly and clamp the forwardmost cigarette carton on the belt 46. This carton is therefore held firmly as the belt 46 slides under it. This carton is thus prevented from tipping or cocking when the elevator is moving upwardly, and a vertically upwardly extending plate portion 159 of the pressure bar 101 prevents the cartons on the elevator from catching on the lower edge of the rearward wall of the magazine when the elevator moves up. When the elevator has reached its upper position, the pressure bar 101 is withdrawn upwardly by the cylinder 102 in response to actuation of the switch 78 but the vertical plate 68 prevents forward movement of the cartons by the belt 46 until the plate 67 is again in its lower position.

The magazine 41 into which the elevator 40 moves the tiers of cartons comprises a top or upper wall 111 (FIGS. 11,12, 14 and 15), a front or forward wall 112, and a back or rearward wall 113 (FIGS. 11, 16 and 17). The walls 111, 112 and 113 are supported by a pair of uprights 116 and 117 which in turn are movably mounted on the frame 39 of the machine. With specific reference to FIGS. 11 and 16, the wall 112 and the upright 116 are located on the side of the machine which is adjacent the switch 81, and the wall 113 and the upright 117 are located on the side of the machine which is adjacent the conveyor 31. The uprights 116 and 117 include vertically extending angle members 118 and 119, respectively, which as shown in FIG. 11, extend from above the top wall 111 to a location below the horizontal plate 67 of the elevator 40. Each of the members 116 and 117 has secured to the lower end thereof a horizontally extending bracket 120 (FIGS. 9, 10, 12, 15 and 17) which extends underneath the horizontal plate 67 of the elevator 40 and is mounted for sliding movement toward or away from each other on the frame 39 of the machine.

With specific reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, the positions of the two uprights 116 and 117 may be manually adjusted by two adjusting screws 123 rotatably mounted below and adjacent the elevator. The two screws 123 are oppositely threaded and engage nuts 124 which are secured to the two brackets 120. A shaft 126 supports the screw 123 and is rotatably supported on the frame 39 of the machine, and it will be apparent that turning movement of the shaft 126 results in movement of the two uprights 116 and 117 toward or away from each other, depending upon the direction of rotation of the shaft 126.

As previously mentioned, the walls of the magazine are supported by the two uprights 116 and 117, and therefore the distance separating the forward and rearward walls 112 and 113 of the magazine may be adjusted by turning the shaft 126. Such an adjustment is desirable to enable the magazine to accomodate cigarette cartons of different widths, such as the regular width cigarettes and the more recent thins." In the present construction, an adjustment may be manually made by a hand wheel 131 (FIGS. 1, 4 and 5) fastened to one end of an adjusting shaft 132, the other end of the shaft 132 being connected by a coupling 133 to the shaft 126. The end of the shaft 132 having the hand wheel 131 fastened thereto is rotatably mounted on the supporting frame 134 (FIGS. 1 and 2) for the stamping and gluing machine 29 and the input conveyor 31. A pointer 136 is connected by a worm and gear arrangement 135 to the shaft 132, the pointer 136 being located above the upper surface of the frame 134 as shown in FIG. 4. lndicia 137, consisting in the present instance of numerals 1 through 8, are preferably provided adjacent the end of the pointer 136. Before feeding cigarette cartons into the case packing machine to be repacked in empty cases, the operator turns the hand wheel 13] to set the pointer 136 at one of the numbers 137, this number being associated, by precalculation, with the cigarette carton width being processed. Turning of the hand wheel 131 thus moves the side walls 112 and 113 of the magazine the proper distance apart to receive a tier of six cartons.

In addition to moving the walls 112 and 113, the switch 81 (FIG. 11) is also moved because it is supported by the upright 116. The frame 116 further supports a panel 141 which is positioned between the flange 83 of the plate 82 and the limit switch 81. A slot 142 is formed in the panel 141 at a location adjacent the slot 83b and adjacent an actuator roller 81a of the switch 81, and the roller 81a extends into the slots 83b and 142. As previously mentioned, pressure of the cigarette cartons 66 against the roller 81a causes rotation ofthe switch 81. Since the switch 81 is mounted on the frame 116, its position will also be adjusted along with the side walls 112 and 113 of the magazine, with the result that the switch 81 will always be actuated when the sixth cigarette carton is pushed onto the elevator 40 regardless of the carton width.

With reference to FIG. 16, the forward wall 112 of the magazine 41 comprises a fixed panel 146 which is fastened by a bolt 147 to the member 118 and a flexible panel 148 which is fastened by a bolt 148a to the member 118. The panels 146 and 148 extend across the forward side of the magazine from the upright 116 toward the tower 42. The edge of the panel 148 which is adjacent the tower 42 includes an extension 149 which slants inwardly toward the other side wall 113 and telescopes into the open end ofa case, indicated in FIG. 16 by the reference numeral 151. The panel 148 and the extension 149 are preferably made of relatively thin sheet metal which is capable of being flexed outwardly when pressure is exerted on it during the time that the cartons 66 are being pushed into the case 151.

With reference to FIG. 16, the other side wall 113 also comprises a fixed panel 156 and a flexible panel 157 which are similar to the panels 146 and 148. The two panels 156 and 157 are secured to the member 119 of the upright 117, and the intermediate panel 157 includes a slanted extension 158 similar to the extension The pressure bar 101 (FIGS. 11 and 16) is slidably supported by the inner panel 156, the pressure bar 101 including a vertically upwardly extending plate portion 159 which slides between a pair of guides 161 secured to the inner face of the panel 156. With reference to FIG. 16, a spacer 162 is secured to the inner surface of the plate portion 159 to make the inner surface of the portion 159 flush with the surfaces of the two guides 161.

With reference to FIG. 11, the upper wall 111 of the magazine 41 comprises a pair of horizontally extending panels 166 and 167 which are respectively pivotably and slidably connected to two vertically extending shafts 168 and 169 secured to the members 118 and 119. The two panels 166 and 167 support two vertically extending panels 171 and 172, respectively, which extend downwardly from the panels 171 and 172 on the outsides of the panels 148 and 157 of the sidewalls. Brackets 173 pivotably and slidably fasten the panels 171 and 172 to the shafts 168 and 169. The connection of the panels 166 and 167 and brackets 173 with the shafts 168 and 169 permit both vertical sliding movements and pivotal movement of the panels on the shafts. Consequently, pressure against the undersides of the two panels 166 and 167 as cartons of cigarettes are stacked by the elevator into the magazine causes the panels 166, 167, 171 and 172 to move upwardly, thereby enabling the magazine 41 to accomodate cartons of different heights.

As shown in FIG. 11, the inner edges of the two horizontal panels 166 and 167 are spaced apart, and a spanner plate 177 is secured to one of the two panels 166 and 167 and underlies the other panel, spanning the gap between them. Consequently the entire upper side of the magazine is closed by the two panels 166 and 167 and the spanner plate 177. Further, a tension spring 178 (FIGS. 6 and 13) is connected between the two panels 166 and 167 on the upper sides thereof. This spring 178 pivots the panels 166 and 167 toward each other and it also flexes the panels of the side walls toward each other. 

1. In a case packing machine for packing series of cartons into empty cases, the width of the cartons of some of said series being different from the width of the cartons of other of said series and the width of each case being related to the width of the series of cartons associated therewith, the improvement in said packing machine comprising a magazine, an elevator for stacking tiers of cartons in saiD magazine, and means for pushing a stack of tiers from said magazine into an empty case, said elevator including first support means for supporting said cartons, said cartons being fed in succession onto said first support means from an entrance side thereof, second support means slidable relative to said first support means and forming an extension from the side of said first support means which is opposite said entrance side, said second support means including an upstanding portion which extends upwardly above the level of said first support means and is adapted to extend in the path of cartons moving onto said first support means, a plurality of cartons moving on said first and second support means forming a tier and engaging said portion and sliding said second support means away from said entrance side, whereby said first and second support means are capable of accommodating tiers of cartons of different widths, said elevator further including drive means for moving said first and second support means with a tier thereon into said magazine.
 2. Apparatus as in claim 1, and further including a switch positioned on the side of said elevator which is opposite said entrance side, said switch being positioned in the path of said upstanding portion and being adapted to be actuated thereby when a tier of cartons is on said first and second support means, and said switch being connected to energize said drive means when actuated.
 3. Apparatus as in claim 1, and further including means for adjusting the position of said switch toward or away from said first support means.
 4. Apparatus as in claim 3, wherein said adjusting means is further connected to said magazine to adjust the width of said magazine.
 5. In a case packing machine for packing series of cartons into empty cases, the width of the cartons of some of said series being different from the width of the cartons of other of said series, the width of each case being related to the width of the series of cartons associated therewith, and each case having an empty side, the improvement in said packing machine comprising a magazine, an elevator for stacking tiers of cartons in said magazine, a tower for positioning an empty case adjacent said magazine, and means for pushing a stack of tiers from said magazine into the empty case, said tower comprising means for supporting a case with said open side facing said magazine, means in said tower for centering said case relative to said magazine, said centering means comprising a pair of members, said members extending adjacent opposite sides of said tower and adapted to extend adjacent the walls of a case to be centered, and power means connected between said pair of members for moving said pair of members equal distances toward and away from each other when actuated, whereby a case is centered by movement of said members toward each other, and means positioning said case tightly against said magazine.
 6. Apparatus as in claim 5, wherein said case positioning means and said case centering means each includes drive means, and a common actuator is connected to actuate said drive means.
 7. Apparatus as in claim 6, wherein said drive means for said case centering means acts more rapidly than said drive means for said case positioning means.
 8. In a case packing machine for packing series of cartons into empty cases, the width of the cartons of some of said series being different from the width of the cartons of other of said series, and the width of each case being related to the width of the series of cartons associated therewith, the improvement in said packing machine comprising a magazine, an elevator for stacking tiers of cartons in said magazine, a tower for positioning an empty case adjacent said magazine with an open side of the case facing said magazine, and means for pushing a stack of tiers from said magazine into the empty case, said elevator including first and second means for supporting said cartons, said second means being slidable relative to saiD first means and forming an extension from one side thereof, said magazine including two spaced-apart side walls, means supporting said side walls for movement toward and away from each other, and said tower comprising means for positioning an empty case relative to said magazine.
 9. A case packing machine for packing series of cartons into empty cases, comprising a magazine, an elevator for stacking tiers of cartons in said magazine, said magazine being vertically displaced from said elevator and said elevator including a platform which moves vertically to stack tiers in said magazine, continuously moving conveyor means leading to an entrance side of said elevator for feeding cartons successively onto said elevator, said platform comprising a first support adjacent said conveyor and a second support which is slidably fastened to said first support and forms an extension thereof, and hold down means including a movable bar mounted between said elevator and said conveyor for clamping the carton most closely adjacent said elevator during the time that said elevator is moving a tier of cartons into said magazine, said elevator including power means for effecting said vertical movement of said platform, and said hold down means includes power means for moving said bar to clamp said carton, and further including a switch fastened to and movable with said second support of said platform and actuated by said cartons moving thereon for simultaneously actuating both of said power means.
 10. Apparatus as in claim 9, wherein said power means for said hold down means presses said bar downwardly until stopped by a carton of cigarettes, whereby said hold down means is capable of accommodating cartons of different heights.
 11. Apparatus for handling cartons of cigarettes received from a stamping and gluing machine, the machine being adapted to receive cartons having two opened flaps on one side thereof extending upwardly and having a bead of glue on at least one of the opened flaps, said machine comprising a generally flat horizontally extending elevator adapted to have the cartons pushed successively thereon, a magazine positioned above said elevator, said elevator moving a plurality of cartons upwardly into said magazine whenever a predetermined number of cartons has been accumulated on said elevator, said magazine receiving said cartons with said opened flaps thereof extending upwardly, a tower located adjacent said magazine for positioning and centering an empty case to receive cartons from said magazine, pusher means for pushing a stack of cartons from said magazine into an empty case in said tower, means for ejecting a filled case from said tower onto an output conveyor, and inverter means on said output conveyor for lifting each case off said conveyor, turning each case end-for-end to place said glued flaps on the undersides of said cartons, and replacing each of said cases on said conveyor.
 12. Apparatus as in claim 11, wherein said inverter means comprises a frame, drive means for turning said frame one-half revolution upon actuation thereof, and switch means for said drive means, said switch means being located to be actuated by each case moving into said inverter means. 